Written by Lynn Allen, Executive Director/Curator Brown County Historical Society
Last week, on a journey exploring history as I often find myself doing. History rarely ever disappoints. On Thursday, June 24, 1925, a thirty-five-foot fracture failure on the Horton dam was realized, quickly unfolding into disaster. The dam responsible for holding the town’s drinking supply is a 1200-foot dam. No less than five hundred men from the surrounding community attempted to repair the fracture before the city’s east side flooded, wiping out homes. The men, working around the clock for over 24 hours trying to fix the fracture with sandbags and any other helpful item to prevent further flooding. On the evening of Wednesday, June 23, 1925, over five inches of rain fell. Two earlier downpours brought the total rainfall to eleven inches, caused the dam to swell. The dam ordinarily capable of holding over 700 million gallons of water was now ready to burst with over a billion gallons of water.
The response to the call for help to prevent a catastrophe was overwhelming! Men and women heard and responded from Hiawatha, Fairview, Everest and Baker, and many other towns. The community rallied behind one another, closing shop for the day to attempt to avert the disaster. Many recalled hearing the roar of the water from over a mile away.
Community members orchestrate the subsequent events to work together to prevent further calamities. Colonel Charles Henry Browne (Colonel at the time) hung lights over the dam so that men could have light through all hours. J.S. Henderson, Brown County Commissioner, was there overseeing the thirty-five-foot gap closure. At some point is determined that a controlled blast of dynamite could avert the disaster. E.G., Christiansen directed the workers. Still, many more community members banded together to prevent the catastrophe from furthering its course. Colonel Browne put up tents at the West side of the dam and employed the women of the area to oversee supplies, food, tobacco for the men during the short rest periods.
The spirit of the community and good nature was visible throughout the entire course of this disaster. There are history explorations all around each of us, ready and eager for anyone to explore. There are also lessons on how to be better humans. Kindness matters, so the biggest takeaway from this experience and all experiences is that all people matter. Our words matter, our actions matter, and our behavior should most profoundly reflect the lasting imprints we want to leave on the world. As always, there is so much more to every story. Find it, be sure to reach out, and let me know what you discover! #HistoryMysteries
Pictured 1925 Dam Breaks in Horton photograph is part of the Brown County Historical Society Collection.
Forest of Words 